Ever Model Your First Car?

[Danno]

Have you ever built a model of your first car?

This is a replica of my first car, a '53 Studebaker Champion.

I bought the 1:1 at a police auction for $15 ~ complete car but missing engine and transmission.

My partner in crime and I cut out the firewall and fabricated a flat aluminum replacement, then dropped a Chevy 327 and Muncie 4spd in it with a shortened Chevy driveshaft and a hydraulic clutch, using an Honest Charlie motor mount kit and a Hurst shifter. Hooker headers and dual exhausts with Thrush mufflers were routed straight back.

I hung out at Star Kustom Shop (Darryl Starbird's) some in those days, and I learned his technique of radiusing wheel wells. The rear tires were cheater slicks. I decked and nosed and shaved all the trim except the fender top chrome tips; they were just the right touch of chrome along with the headlamp rings, grille rings, windshield trim, and the planned Cragars.

I made a mahogany dashboard panel and installed Stewart Warner gauges. The plan was to extend a center console from the dash to the rear interior panel and use 4 bucket seats. Unfortunately, I never got the interior finished (or the exterior's final Candy Apple Red paint).

The 1:1 was a blast and a darn fine street machine, but I just didn't have it long enough (I shoulda had it for about 50 years!).

The model represents how it woulda/coulda/shoulda appeared in final form.

~~ So, share your story about your first car and show off the model you made of it! ~~

[DiscoSpud]

God I don't even want to think about how hard it'd be to model my first car! Haha it was a 1978 Triumph 2500S with ghost flames, racing stripes and a black to silver gradual base to roof colour fade. It took three weeks to paint the 1:1, I'll have to see if any company actaully makes triumph models.

[MicroNitro]

My first car was a rusted out 71 pinto. I do not think I would want a model of that. Now I would like to do my second car a 1940 ford pickup truck.

[Foxer]

THAT'S what I'm talking about! Modeling you first car is a great idea and I've been collecting parts to do my '51 Plymouth. It's is looking like the engine may be just displayed on the side thou.

It's cool you had the mods to do making your Stude ... came out great!

[roadhawg]

Ironic topic, since I recently embarked on a little project to build a few cars from my past. I haven't gotten around to my first yet, but I HAVE done my second....a '69 Nova 6 cylinder......

My first car, a '57 Chevy 2 door hardtop, is near the top of my "to-do" list. All I have to do is get a few of these other projects out of the way....

[Sixties Sam]

Here's the post of my model of my first car, a 1965 Corvair convertible. I bought the car in 1970, and built the model that same year. I just rebuilt and repainted the model last December. I added a resin uptop from Modelhaus. http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=38985&st=0&p=402436&hl=corvair&fromsearch=1&#entry402436

[whale392]

Yup; still have the real car but the model was destroyed in a DiTY move. 1965 Dodge Coronet500 Convertible.

[retrobuilder]

Wish I could, but I will have wait until I have money for resin! Mine was a '63 ford stepside pickup. I My second vehicle ws a '68 chevelle Malibu.

[retrobuilder]

I love that primered '70 chevelle, because that is the kind of vehicles I drove when I was young!!

[Deckerz]

i would have modeled my first car but it does not exist in model form, MG ZR.

[Brian_R]

I built this replica a few years back. The outside looks close but the model has the Ford interior - close enough!

Brian

[Agent G]

My first car was a '62 Pontiac Catalina SD. I found it on a gas station lot with a for sale sign. Apparently no one there realized what it really was other than "it's fast". I was 15.

It had been repainted that awful GM light metallic green, but the interior was ok.

I replaced the steering wheel with a small black vinyl chrome spoked affair.

I found some chrome wheels and baby moons for that "hot rod" look.

Backyard mechanics tinkered with the car throughout it's life. It took a lot to get it running in a consistent manner. Naturally, I get it right where I want it, and then enlisted. Fast forward a year or so and a letter from dad asks what the heck should we do with this old POS leaking all over. I said sell it, so we did. Made a buck on the car as the next owner knew what it was worth, as a car and to him.

I wish I had kept it.

G

Edited March 28, 2011 by AgentG

[ra7c7er]

I really want to but I don't like curbside models and won't pay the high prices for import kits. I have however built several (and have a couple more planned) of the Revell BMW 320i which is the closest thing (an American model company has produced) to my first car.

[Keef]

Lord No!!! why would i want to bring back memories of that POS?? LOL

my first car was a 1974 Ford Mustang II with a 4cyl and auto tranny that my dad bought from my cousin after she rearended a Cadillac.

i was 15 and thought it was the greatest thing in the world then, Silver Anniversary Edition, Metallic Silver paint with Silver vinyl insides and a silver vinyl top, was a trunk car not a hatchback and to my knowledge nobody makes a kit of it.

looked just like this one but with a crushed grille and bent up bumper

Edited March 28, 2011 by MrSuperbee70

[Joe Handley]

Wish I could have, but there was never a model made of the Chrysler H-Bodies

[SuperStockAndy]

I will someday.

My first and current truck:

[VW Dave]

I don't have any pics of it, but in 1987ish I modeled my first car(an '84 Chevette) after I sold the 1:1 to a buddy and I gave the model to him as a gift.

Edited March 28, 2011 by VW Dave

[SkinnyDan]

I don't think they make a model of my first car, a 1989 Olds 88. But I do plan on building up a model of my first vehicle that had my name on the title, a 1995 Ford Ranger, I plan to build one as a sold it and build one the way I always planned on building my actual truck.

[Scale-Master]

I have been collecting the parts for my first car for years. 1973 Vega Kammback. Get to cut up two relatively rare drag kits for the body...

Done the same compiling of kits and parts to do my '73 Camaro too, I was waiting for me to stop changing it before starting on the model, I think it has been the same long enough for that. Procrastination paid off for that one since the AMT '70 Camaro came out during the compilation period.

I started and got more than half way through a model of my '72 Chevy truck, but the real one out rusted the model while I was pondering adding the shell to the model or just removing it from the real one. Guess I'll just have to weather and rust up the model now because I am not going to fix the real one.

I would really like a model of my '68 Vista Cruiser, but I doubt that will happen...

I did finish a model of my daily drivers '94 Camaro and '98 Corvette at least...

[highway]

This has been something I have always wanted to do ever since I bought my first car, a 1976 Mercury Cougar XR7 identical to the one in this picture I found on the web.

The only kit I have ever found close is the 73 Cougar from AMT, but there is just enough difference between them I don't think it would be anywhere near correct.

Of course, I also have plans sort of close to the model Mark Taylor posted, and that is to build my current daily driver, my 1990 Ford F350 4x4 diesel dually. I'm not like Mark in the fact that it is my first truck, I've had many, but it is my first dually and my first (and last ) diesel powered truck!

I have most of the parts collected for the 4x4 drivetrain, I just have to figure out how I'm going to replicate the diesel engine and most importantly, get the guts to take the razor saw to the Monogram extended cab!

[Jared Roach]

get the guts to take the razor saw to the Monogram extended cab!

I just did this, wasen't hard at all. measure twice, cut once

As for a model of my first car, kinda lol. 99 gmc Sonoma ext cab, but the amt model is based on a reg cab 94, which is quite different. I will make it someday, just don't feel my skills are there yet.

[montelsc]

I was given my dads 73 satellite 4dr thers no kit for that so i used the 74 2dr thats the closest i could get

[highway]

I just did this, wasen't hard at all. measure twice, cut once

Yeah Jared, it's that cut once that worries me!

On top of that, since my truck was originaly a chassis cab, I have to cut the frame just right to shorten it for the regualr cab, but still keep the six inch gap between the bed and cab where someday my dual stacks will live!

[DiscoSpud]

i built this close replica of my first car,

the 1:1 was actually a '72 Malibu that i swapped '71 front parts onto because i liked the '71 better. i used the Monogram '70 for a few reasons and part of that was that finding an original AMT '71 Chevelle kit for a decent price is pretty well out of the question. i also really like the Monogram '70 kit so that's what i went with. the only other real difference is that i didn't have an SS dash either. it was a fun build and it reminds me of the old 1:1 car and the fun i had in it, maybe not 100% accurate but i'm okay with that.

That's actually one of many of my dream cars right there!

[dptydawg]

A couple weeks back I finished building a model of my first new car. A 1968 383ci 4 gear Formula S Baracuda fastback. I built the car from an old MPC gluebomb body and the MPC 1969 Baracuda kit. The original car had Craiger SS wheels also. I should never have traded it in.

I don't think that I could easily build my first car. It was a 1964 Canadian Valiant V-100 4door. To build it I woudl need both a valiant and Dodge dart kit to the both front and back clips

Thanks

Carl

Edited March 29, 2011 by dptydawg